Preservice Teachers and School Health and Wellness

While health and wellness education can positively impact preservice teachers’ beliefs and attitudes and the students they teach, barriers exist for preservice teachers in taking on this role, including a lack of formal education. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 preservice teachers to determine the perspectives of preservice teachers about health and wellness in school settings and their teacher education program. In our findings, we identified four themes, including (a) teachers are health and wellness role models, (b) preservice teachers need and want more health and wellness preparation, (c) health and wellness ought to be viewed holistically, and (d) responsibility for health and wellness comes from the top down. The themes identified suggest particular areas of need, including more information at the course level in teacher education programs and prioritizing health and wellness at the provincial, divisional, and school levels. We suggest that a systemic perspective that promotes collaboration among teachers, administrators, schools, and teacher education programs is necessary in order to ensure consistent application of evidence-based practice. Keywords: preservice teachers, wellness, health, health promotion, schools, teacher education